


The Smell of Coffee and Love in the Air

by BeccaBear93



Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-05-10 14:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 9,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5589235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeccaBear93/pseuds/BeccaBear93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baz is a barista. Penny is the mischievous girl who just wants to see her best friend happy. Simon is in denial.</p><p>The obligatory Normal, college, and cafe AUs all rolled into one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Have I mentioned that I'm terrible at titles? I really, really am. This is why I usually use quotes or song titles.
> 
> I don’t know why I felt the need to include my fascination with Cantarella. Oops.
> 
> Or why they’re apparently Americans in a rom-com and Baz is a smoker _again_. I’m so sorry.
> 
> Some of you might recognize the names of Baz’s siblings as a nod to my other fic, “ _Fell_ in Love, Didn’t You?” I really enjoyed that particular chapter and couldn’t resist.

**Penelope:**

“So, I was thinking that… Hello? Earth to Simon!” I call, waving a hand in front of his face.

Simon jumps and turns back to me. “Sorry, what was that?”

I glance at the boy at the counter and smirk. “Distracted by something?”

Simon blushes and shakes his head. “It’s not like that, Penny. Besides, I’m with Agatha. I’m straight.”

 _You just keep telling yourself that._ Aloud, all I say is, “What is it like, then?”

“He just looks familiar, and I can’t figure out why. I must know him from somewhere…” he drifts off, staring at the black-haired boy again.

I shrug. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually, but we did come here for a reason. Can you please focus for a while?”

Simon sighs and looks down at the papers spread out over the table. “Why?” he whines rhetorically, and I laugh.

“We have to get this project done eventually, and we haven’t even decided what our topic is yet.”

His head drops to the table. “I know you’ve got ideas. Just choose whatever you want and tell me what I need to do.”

“Fine with me,” I answer. I can feel a slightly devious smile growing on my face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Penelope:**

“Oh, for crying out loud, Simon!” I say, watching him sip his plain black coffee and stare at the same employee as last week.

“Sorry, sorry!” Simon says, raising his hands in surrender. “It’s just really driving me crazy that I can’t figure out why I recognize him!”

I sigh in defeat. “If it’ll make you stop staring at him and actually focus, I’ll tell you… Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch. He’s in our history class. There are a lot of people in that class, and he’s usually pretty quiet, so I can understand why you haven’t noticed him again, but there you have it. You know him because he’s in that class with us. The same class we need to finish this project for,” I finish pointedly.

“Huh. Really?” Simon asks. “You’d think I’d notice someone that evil-looking in class.”

I laugh. “Just because he has slicked-back black hair doesn’t mean he’s evil, Simon.”

“He looks like he is, though, and I always catch him sneering at me when we’re here. Even his name is evil! What kind of normal person has a name that long, that sounds like it was stolen from one of Shakespeare’s plays?”

“Someone with parents who like classical names?” I suggest, amused. “Now that the mystery’s been solved, can we _please_ get back to work?”

“Right, sorry.” Simon readjusts how he’s sitting, picks up his pencil, and forces his eyes away back to the assignment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Simon:**

The next time I go to Starbucks, it’s on my own. I walk up to the register and place my order. When the other boy hands me my drink, though, I don’t leave. I lean against the counter and, struggling not to laugh at the ridiculous name, say, “Thank you, Tyrannus.”

Grey eyes glower at me. “How do you know my name?”

“Oh, um, sorry.” If I hadn’t noticed Tyrannus in his class, how could I expect to be noticed? I hold out my hand. “We have the same history class at the university. I’m Simon Snow.”

The other boy hesitates, but eventually shakes my hand. “Baz,” he replies meaningfully, pointing to his name tag.

 _Oh. How did I never think to check his name tag?_ A few moments late, I drop Baz’s hand.

After a few seconds of silence, Baz gestures to the register. “Well, nice to meet you Snow, but there’s another customer, so…” he trails off awkwardly, raising an eyebrow.

“Right, of course! Sorry! I’ll go now,” I rush out. I sit down at the table in the corner and inhale deeply, breathing in the smell of the fresh coffee. My gaze turns to the window and I let myself just not think for a while. Eventually, I realize that I’ve been spacing out and at some point started staring at Baz. (Though I only noticed because Baz looked over and caught my eye.) I jolt, feeling heat rise on the back of my neck, and glances at my phone. It’s been nearly half an hour, and my coffee is starting to go cold. I shove my phone into my pocket, double check that my wallet is there, and stand up, deciding to just heat up my drink at home.

I walk on autopilot the two blocks back to the flat and up the stairs. I open the door and call out, “Honey, I’m home!” Penny giggles from her spot on the couch, and I grin back at her.

“Where’d you go?” she asks curiously.

I just shrug and holds up my cup in answer.

“Have fun?” Penny asks, in a voice that makes me feel like I’m missing some joke. Or more likely, that I’m the butt of the joke.

I shrug again. “It was fine. It wasn’t too busy today. That was nice.”

“Oh? Did you have time to talk to your mystery boy?”

 _Okay, now I’m_ sure _I’m the butt of the joke._ I roll my eyes but don’t mention that I’m catching on to her game. It would probably just make her tease me more. “Actually, I did. Apparently, he goes by Baz and hates being called Tyrannus.” I laugh. “I can’t say that I blame him.”

Penny raises an eyebrow. “You’re one to talk, _Snow_.”

“Hey! Snow isn’t _that_ weird! Besides, at least it’s my _last_ name.”

She hums skeptically but lets it go. “What else did you talk about?”

“Nothing, really. We just introduced ourselves, and then he had to go help another customer.”

“That’s a bit disappointing,” she mutters. I pretend I didn’t hear.

“What have you been up to today?” I ask instead, falling onto the couch next to Penny. I lay down, using her lap as a pillow, and steal a cracker from the plate she’s holding. She tries to give me a look but I can see the fond smile she’s trying to hide.

“Taking a well-deserved break,” she answers. She gestures to our television, where Netflix is currently paused. “I’m on season four, want to join me?”

I turn to see what’s on and grin. “You know I’ll never turn down Doctor Who.”

She smiles back and hits the play button.


	4. Chapter 4

**Baz:**

The next time Snow returns, he isn’t alone or with the girl he usually comes with. He’s arm in arm with a blonde girl who’s nearly as tall as him. She’s very pretty, in a very boring way, and she has a bright, innocent smile. I’m not fooled for a moment.

“Hi, Baz!” Snow says when they get to the counter. I nod in acknowledgement, and he orders his plain, black coffee, as usual. I don’t know how he can stand the stuff.

The girl stares at the menu for a minute, then looks to me. “What would you recommend?” she asks sweetly.

I’m tempted to make her something terrible, but I doubt her boyfriend would take too kindly to that. Not that I particularly care what he thinks, but Snow and his friend are regulars here and my boss wouldn’t be happy with me if we lost them.

(Who am I kidding? Our store is busy enough that the money from two people, even ones who came several times a day, wouldn’t even be noticed.)

Instead of doing what I want to, I put on my most charming, dealing-with-annoying-customers smile. Snow looks shocked; have I ever actually smiled when he’s around? Maybe I’ve tried too hard to hide it. “I could get you something that I invented, if you’d like. It’s a pumpkin mocha breve.”

She counters my fake smile with her own and thanks me, and they go to the other end of the counter. There are more customers behind them, so I continue taking orders and Dev makes their drinks.

Once business has slowed down, I look to Snow’s usual table and find him staring at me. I raise an eyebrow and he turns red. He pats his girlfriend’s hand and she lets go of his arm so he can walk back up to the counter. We lean on opposite sides and I nod towards her. “Is that your girlfriend, Snow?” I ask.

Snow smiles, but it’s a bit shaky. “Yeah. Agatha’s gorgeous, isn’t she?”

I manage to refrain from laughing. “If that’s your type, I suppose she is,” I say, raising an eyebrow.

Snow doesn’t catch my meaning; he thinks I’m insulting his girlfriend. His smile droops a bit, and he replies, “Well, I guess everyone has their own type…”

 _And_ you’re _exactly_ my _type,_ I don’t say. Instead, I ask, “Did she like the drink?”

He makes a face. “She loves it. She tried to get me to drink some; I don’t know how you can stand it. That thing is so sweet I’m not even sure it counts as coffee anymore.”

“I don’t know how you can stand the bitter crap black,” I counter.

“I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree, then,” he says with a laugh.

I nod. “Since you mentioned that we have a class together, I finally noticed,” I say, as if I hadn’t noticed the ridiculously bright aura around him from day one. “Your presentation with Bunce the other day was impressive.”

Snow grins and shrugs. “I can’t really take much credit for that. Penny’s brilliant, though. She planned out most of it.”

“I’m sure you helped, though.” Behind him, I can see Agatha eying us curiously.

He shrugs again. “Maybe a little.”

Agatha stands up and makes a beeline for Snow, wrapping her arm through his again. “Don’t you think it’s about time to go?” she asks. She glances at me out of the corner of her eye, and I straighten up. There’s nothing overtly hostile about her tone or expression, but she isn’t smiling anymore either.

Snow notices, too. He looks confused and a little worried. “Sure…” he says slowly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay, Baz?”

I nod. “Bye, Simon.”

He catches the use of his first name and blinks but doesn’t mention it.

It’s only after they leave and I hear the bell over the door ring that I remember I don’t work tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Penelope:**

“Do you want to go to Starbucks with me?” Simon asks.

I glance up from the computer screen. “You realize we have a coffee maker, right? You don’t have to keep wasting all your money when you just drink regular old coffee.”

“I know, but… I want to go out.”

“Alright. Let’s go somewhere else, though. We can go to the park or something. I’m low on money right now.” I’m purposefully baiting him now, and he knows it.

“I’ll pay for yours, too!” he says earnestly.

I sigh. “Why do you really want to go, Simon?”

He falls into the chair next to me, deflating. “I told Baz I’d see him today.”

“You’re getting a bit obsessive,” I tease.

“I am not!” he argues. “Baz just seems like a really cool guy. It’d be nice if we could be friends.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “You’ve gotten this impression after talking to him _how_ many times?”

“Two or three?” he guesses sheepishly.

I roll my eyes and shut down my laptop. “Okay, let’s go,” I say as I put on my jacket.

Simon jumps up. “Thank you!” he says, grinning.

I hug him. “You’re welcome, you dork.” We step outside and I lock the door. We walk down the stairs and to the end of the block quietly, but the silence gets to me after a minute. “How are things going with Agatha?” I ask. I’ve talked to her; I know exactly how they’re going. I just want Simon to admit it for once.

He hesitates. “I honestly don’t know,” he says after a minute. He shoves his hands in his pockets and shrugs. “Sometimes I think everything’s great, but other times… It’s like she’s not even there, even when she is.”

“Are _you_ there when you’re with her?” I ask gently.

Simon has to think about that for a minute, and that’s really all the answer I need. “Sometimes,” he admits. “Sometimes I don’t even want to be.”

“Why not?” I push.

“I don’t know… I thought I loved her, Penny. We’ve been together for five years now. Lately, though, I’m not so sure. It feels like we’re just going through the motions at this point.”

“Do you think it’s fixable?”

He shrugs and exhales loudly. “Not so far. It’s not like I haven’t been trying.”

“Maybe it’s time to end it, then,” I suggest. I’ve known for a long time that they wouldn’t last. I’ve also know that Simon wouldn’t listen until he figured it out on his own.

He goes quiet, and I start to think that he’s not going to answer me. Maybe it’s still too early to bring up. After a long time, though, he concedes, “Maybe it is…”

I stop talking and leave him to his thoughts until we get to the café. I start to walk with him to the counter, but he shoos me toward our table. “I told you I’d pay. I’ll order; you just go sit down.”

I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay,” I say with a small smirk. “Have fun.”

Simon rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything. The bounce is back in his step as he goes to talk to the cashier. I gaze out the window, but look back when Simon sets a cup in front of me. He’s frowning again. “What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Baz isn’t here today,” he says, shrugging like it doesn’t bother him. It’s clear that it does, though.

“I guess you’ll just have to talk to him in class, then,” I say. His eyebrows draw together and I laugh. “Don’t tell me you never thought of that.”

“I didn’t, actually,” Simon answers, and he laughs too.

“Do you want to leave?” I ask.

He sits down across from me, smiling. “No, we’re already here. Let’s just hang out for a while.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Simon:**

Penny sits down in her usual seat in the back of the lecture hall, and I perch on the edge of the chair next to her. I’m searching for a familiar mop of black hair when her laugh draws my attention. “Go on,” she says, gesturing to Baz a few rows below us.

“Are you sure?” I ask.

“I think I can handle one day of sitting alone,” Penny says with another laugh. She sticks her tongue out. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll even get some decent notes without you here distracting me.”

“Haha, very funny,” I say, deadpan. She waves me away again, and I hop over the next few seats to fall into the one next to Baz. “Hello,” I say, laughing at his shocked expression.

“Hello…” he answers slowly, still blinking at me in surprise.

I settle back in the chair like this is completely normal. “How are you?”

“I’m fine…” His eyebrows furrow like he doesn’t quite understand what’s going on. For some reason, it’s extremely amusing.

“Great!” When he doesn’t say anything, choosing instead to just stare at me, I say, “I’m doing well, too. Thanks for asking!” Baz looks completely bewildered, and I can’t stop laughing. I do my best to hide it, but I don’t think it’s working very well.

The professor steps up to the lectern, and I get my notebook ready. We don’t talk throughout the lecture. Several times though, I catch Baz passing me strange looks out of the corner of my eye.

When the teacher clicks to the last slide of the day, I struggle to hold back a groan. “ _Another_ one already?” I mutter, and Baz laughs quietly. The class starts muttering, and I can tell that my sentiment is shared by most of the other students.

“You’ll be starting a new project today. You can choose a historical figure based on these criteria. There will be no presentations this time, but you will have to write a paper and answer the questions that will be available online. It will be due in three weeks. For the last ten minutes of class, I’d like you to partner up with someone nearby and begin discussing your options.” At this, I turn back to Penny, panicking slightly. She just rolls her eyes and waves towards Baz, already talking to Trixie. I’m going to owe her big time, and I know she’ll make me pay that debt. Penny _hates_ Trixie.

I look to Baz with a helpless smile. “Do you want to work together?” I ask.

Baz shrugs. “That’s fine. Do you have any ideas?”

I read over the slide again and shrug, trying to hide my smile in case he turns down my topic. “Well, when we were talking about the Borgias last week, I thought they were pretty interesting.”

“Cantarella?” he asks with a smile that I think is meant to scare me. I just nod. “Well, we have to choose one. Who would you want to write about?”

“Lucrezia is definitely interesting, but… I think we’d be able to find the most information about Cesare.”

Baz nods. “Probably. Let’s go with that, then.”

“Alright.” I glance at the clock. There are only a few minutes left. “When do you want to meet up?”

He shrugs. “I have to work a lot, but if you come in at the same times as usual, we can just work on it whenever I’m not busy.”

I hide a smile at the thought that he’s noticed I usually come at a certain time. “Okay. I’ll see you later, I guess,” I say, gathering my things up. I stand up, sling my bag over my shoulder, and wave. On the way out, I catch Penny by the elbow and drag her with me out of the classroom.

“So, how did it go?” she asks with a shit-eating grin.

“I feel like you plan these things somehow,” I say accusingly, even though I know that’s ridiculous.

Penny scoffs. “You think I’m in cahoots with the teacher?” she asks, shooting me a look.

I let go of her arm and hold the door open for her to pass through. “Okay, maybe not this time,” I concede. “But you’re definitely planning something in general. I can tell when you’re plotting.”

She laughs and tucks her hair behind her ear. “Maybe I am,” she admits. “Have you figured out _what_ I’m plotting, though?”

I look to the sky pleadingly and groan. “Actually, I think I have. I just don’t want to say it. I feel like if I say it, it will be true.”

Penny just keeps laughing. “Poor, poor Simon. It’s true whether you say it or not.”

“I know.”

\-----

“Going to meet Baz?” Penny asks when I slip on my shoes later that night. Her tone sets me on edge.

“Yes,” I answer. “Are you coming?”

“No, I have to meet Trixie in a bit.” She narrows her eyes at me. “You owe me for that, by the way.”

I sigh in resignation. “I suspected as much.”

“Good. As long as we’re clear.”

“Crystal,” I say as I step outside. “See you later, Penny.”

“Bye, Simon.”

\-----

My book and several papers are spread out over the counter where customers pick up drinks, and I’m leaning against it sipping at my own. I can’t help feeling like I’m in the way, but Baz doesn’t have time to run back and forth from his position to a table.

When he finishes up with three more orders and walks back to me, I sigh. “This isn’t working very well.”

He nods. “We’re pretty busy tonight. Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Well, it’s time for my break, so we should be able to make at least a little bit of progress.”

I look closer at Baz. He looks completely exhausted. I close my book and say, “No, take your break. You look like you need it. We have three weeks to finish this.”

For a second I think he’s going to object, but in the end he just takes off his apron. “Okay. I could use some fresh air.”

“Right.” I pick everything up and start to move to a table to wait, but Baz stops me.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asks, eyebrow raised.

I grin and follow him out. We sit on the curb behind the store, and he pulls out a pack of cigarettes. I make a face. “Really?”

He lights up and gives me a look. “Don’t start ranting at me about the dangers of cancer sticks. Believe me, I already know.”

I hold my hands up in surrender. “Okay, I won’t. It is disgusting, though.”

“Once again, I know,” Baz says with a short laugh. “It’s not easy to quit once you start, though.”

I give him a sympathetic look. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he says, watching the stream of smoke he blows into the air. “It’s my own problem.”

I shrug and lean back, propping my hands against the pavement behind me. Silence falls between us. It’s not entirely uncomfortable, but I still feel the need to fill it, even if that means resorting to the most mundane conversation topics. “So, are you majoring in history, or just taking it for a general requirement?”

“Neither, actually. I just think it’s interesting.” I make a face and he laughs. “I’m guessing you’re not majoring in it either, then?”

I shake my head. “General requirement. I’m more interested in psychology.”

“Oh, don’t analyze me!” he jokes, waving his hands.

I roll my eyes. “I get that from every single person I tell my major.”

“Sorry,” Baz says, cringing.

I shrug. “It’s a little annoying, but I’m used to it. I doubt it will stop any time soon. So what’s yours?”

“Double major: English and linguistics.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Impressive.”

“Not really. I just like words, and the different ways that people say them,” he says with a laugh. He checks his watch and sighs, putting out his cigarette. “I guess we should head back in. You can just leave if you want, and we can try another time. I don’t know if it will slow down at all.”

I consider it for a moment but answer, “I’ll stay. I can hang out for a while, and if we manage to get anything done, that’s great. If not, oh well.”

He gives me a small smile, and somehow I don’t think the quick stutter in my chest is my imagination.


	7. Chapter 7

**Baz:**

“What’s your favorite color?” Snow asks. We’ve made this a strange ritual over the past week. He comes to Starbucks, and we work on the project between customers. On my breaks, we go out behind the store, I smoke, and we ask each other random questions.

“Blue,” I answer. I don’t tell him that it’s specifically the exact shade of his eyes. “Yours?”

“Red,” he says with a grin. I picture the red of fire.

“Favorite TV show?”

“Doctor Who,” he answers without hesitation.

I nod in appreciation. “Game of Thrones for me.”

“I haven’t watched that one. You’ll have to show me sometime.” I glance at him out of the corner of my eye, wondering whether that’s an invitation or just an idle comment. I decide to try to push it out of my head for now, like so many other things Snow has said. I never know how to read into his comments, so I try not to read into them at all.

He’s said that he doesn’t analyze people and he hates when anyone suggests that he does, but… Sometimes I wonder if he’s reading into _my_ comments. If he’s figured out how I feel about him and just chooses not to say anything. I’m sure Bunce has, at least. She’s too clever for her own good, and I’ve caught the impish grin she gets when she sees us together.

I take a deep breath and shake myself out of my thoughts. “Sure,” I say noncommittally.

Snow hums in thought. “How about… Favorite food.” He has a wide smile, and I laugh. If there’s one thing I’ve figured out about Simon Snow so far, it’s that he is passionate about food.

“Anything Italian,” I answer.

“Fancy,” he says in a teasing voice. I shake my head in exasperation, aiming my smile at the ground.

“What about you?” I ask.

His eyes light up. “Sour cherry scones, definitely. I really love roast beef too, though, and cake.” I laugh again and he blushes. “Sorry. I guess I’m kind of weird, rambling about food.”

“It’s fine, not at all,” I say. I bite my tongue when the words ‘it’s strangely cute’ try to escape. Lately, everything about him seems to be ‘cute’ or ‘sexy’ or ‘endearing’ or ‘insert any other sickening word that I shouldn’t be thinking here.’

Snow glances at his phone. “Time to head in?” he asks. I check my watch and nod. We stand and I hold the door open for him, then follow and get back to work.


	8. Chapter 8

**Baz:**

“Okay, what’s wrong?” I finally ask. We’re sitting on the curb as usual, but half my break has passed and Snow hasn’t said a word.

He shakes his head and blinks up at me like he’s coming out of a dream. “Sorry, what was that?” he asks.

“What’s wrong?” I repeat slowly, enunciating the words.

He shoots me a glare for mocking him, but doesn’t say anything about it. He sighs deeply and answers, “Agatha broke up with me.”

I do my best to hide the quick stab of joy and triumph I feel. “Sorry. Did she say why?”

Snow shrugs. “No, but she didn’t have to. I knew it was coming, honestly. If she hadn’t done it, I would have broken up with her soon enough.”

I narrow my eyes. “But you’re still upset about it,” I conclude, confused.

“Yeah.” With a self-deprecating smile, he says, “I guess I was just hoping it would last a while longer. She’s the only person I’ve been with. We were together for five years, and we’ve been friends for even longer. You kind of get used to someone after that long.”

I hum in sympathy. (Well, I’m _trying_ to be sympathetic, at least.) “I can imagine. I wouldn’t know personally, though.”

He looks surprised. “You haven’t been in any long relationships?”

I laugh. “I haven’t been in _any_ relationships, period.”

He laughs, too. “Sure,” he replies, drawing the word out sarcastically.

I shake my head. “I’m serious. I have never even been on a date.”

“Why the hell not?” Snow asks disbelievingly. “You’re 20, and you’re--” he cuts himself off and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. I hide a smirk. I know he watches me sometimes, though I’m not even sure that he’s noticed it himself.

I shrug. “There are very few people that I’ve been interested in,” I answer. I hesitate to continue, but in the end, I realize that I don’t really have anything to lose. “And even if there were… Well, I don’t know of many gay people around here.”

Snow’s jaw drops, but he tries to be subtle and regain his composure quickly. “You’re gay?” he asks, trying to sound like it’s not a big deal.

I nod, laughing. “You didn’t realize that?”

He shakes his head. “I had no idea.”

I take a long drag from my cigarette and watch him in my periphery. After a few seconds, I ask, “Does it bother you?”

“No, not at all.” I’m relieved to see that he seems genuine, even if he is still a bit shocked. He shrugs. “How could I live with someone who’s bi if I was homophobic?”

I raise my eyebrows. “Bunce is bi? Really?” I think about it for a moment. “Well, I did always wonder about her and that Trixie girl…”

Snow nearly chokes on his sudden laughter. He shakes his head and hands wildly in objection. “No no no, not Trixie!” he howls. “Penny _hates_ her! Besides, she’s with a guy named Micah right now.”

I smile and shrug. “That’s good. Trixie’s an obnoxious little rat, anyways. Bunce deserves better.”

“I can’t believe you just said ‘obnoxious little rat.’” He snorts, and it makes me laugh again. “She deserves the best,” he agrees with a fond smile. “I think maybe that _is_ Micah, for her. She’s been happier lately.”

“Good.” I nod decisively. I don’t know Bunce very well personally, but I know that she’s a good person, and that Simon obviously cares about her a lot. I check the time, put out my cigarette, and stand up. I hold a hand out and he takes it to stand up. When we walk inside, he’s smiling again, even if it’s just a small, fragile thing.

Victory.

\-----

**Penelope:**

When Simon walks in the door, he doesn’t even stop to pull off his shoes before collapsing on the couch next to me. He sits silently, not looking at me. After a minute, I prompt, “Are you okay?”

“He’s gay!” He looks embarrassed at how quickly the shocked words fall out of his mouth.

I laugh. And I keep laughing until Simon gets annoyed enough to smack my arm. “It’s not funny!” he objects, whining pitifully.

My laughter doubles. “What? That Baz is gay?” I ask, wheezing. “No, that isn’t funny. What’s funny is that you just now figured it out! And what’s _hilarious_ is how much it’s getting to you!”

“It’s not getting to me! It doesn’t bother me!”

“Oh, I know it doesn’t _bother you_ ,” I respond, trying to stop laughing and calm my breathing. “That’s the last thing on your mind, isn’t it?”

Simon crosses his arms and pouts at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yes you do,” I say, sing-song. “You can’t just keep drowning yourself in denial, Simon.”

He opens his mouth to retort, then closes it with a sigh. His pout drops into a seriously worried expression, and he hides his face in his hands. “What am I doing, Penny?”

I sober immediately. I’ve been teasing him about it for so long that I thought he might never give in and drop his denial. Now that he has, though, he needs support, especially so soon after his break-up. I scoot closer and drape an arm around his shoulders. “I don’t know, Simon. What are you doing?”

“Being an idiot?” he suggests with a small laugh.

I put on a grin and bump him. “Obviously. I meant what are you doing that’s _new_.”

He bumps me back. “I hate you,” he says, but he lifts his head from his hands to give me a quick smile.

“So what do you want to do?” I ask quietly.

“I don’t know,” Simon answers, leaning into me. I let him think for a few minutes, and eventually he says, “Nothing.”

“All of that for ‘nothing’?” I ask, slightly annoyed. “Look, Simon, I know you’re worried, but… You need to go for it. I really don’t think you’ll regret at least _trying_.”

He shakes his head. “No, I just mean… For right now. I’m not going to do anything. Agatha and I just broke up, and I don’t know Baz all that well yet. So for now, nothing.”

“Then _get_ to know him!” I insist, gently pushing Simon away and forcing him to look at me. “If you don’t _do_ anything, then nothing is going to magically happen on its own!”

“Will you help?” he asks with a small, hopeful smile.

I roll my eyes. “Sure. Invite him over here, for all I care. Just do _something_.”

He hugs me, and I rest my chin on his head. “Thank you, Penny.”

I rub small circles into his back. “What are friends for?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Simon:**

I stare at the papers spread out over the counter, but I’m too nervous to focus on anything. I settle for tapping my toes against the tile until Baz comes back over. When he does, he gives me a strange look. “Are you alright?”

I hold back a groan. Is it that obvious? “I’m fine. Um, I was just thinking… It’s pretty busy here, and we haven’t been making very fast progress. Do you want to come over this weekend, and we could work on it at my apartment?”

He shrugs. “Sure.”

I blink and wait, but nothing else comes. I can’t believe I freaked out so much over something so simple. “Ah, great! Would four on Saturday work for you?”

Baz looks to the ceiling for a moment, thinking. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Great!” I repeat, trying to hide my grin.


	10. Chapter 10

**Simon:**

“Penny!”

“What, Simon?” she calls from the living room. I can practically hear her rolling her eyes. “Everything is going to be fine. It’s just a study date, remember?” I don’t think I’m imagining the teasing lilt on the word ‘date.’

“We need food,” I answer, closing the cupboard and moving to the doorway to talk to her.

Penny tilts her head over the arm of the couch, looking at me upside down. “We _have_ food.”

“He has fancy taste, though, and he’ll be here for dinner!”

She raises a skeptical eyebrow at me. “Just get something sweet. He drinks something called a pumpkin mocha breve, for Pete’s sake.”

I shake my head. “We need _dinner_ food,” I repeat. “We should make something Italian.”

Penny sighs in exasperation, but I can hear the laughter in her voice when she says, “We’ll just _order_ Italian food tomorrow, is that good? It’ll have to be something fairly cheap, though.”

I think it over for a minute. “Alright,” I eventually concede. I sit down at the other end of the couch, and she puts her feet in my lap. “I’m sorry.”

“Aww, it’s okay,” she says, sitting up to pinch my cheeks. “My little boy is just growing up, getting all ready for his first date.”

“It’s not my first date!” I argue. She looks at me, amused, until I catch my mistake. “It’s not a date at all!” I correct.

Penny barks out a laugh. “Whatever you say,” she replies, laying back down.

“It’s not!” I moan.

“But you want it to be,” she says. I’m not 100 percent sure that I want to argue, and the look on her face says that she knows it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Baz:**

I get the grand tour of the house when we walk in. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s bigger than most places I’ve seen owned by college students, and it feels cozy and lived-in. “It’s nice, Snow,” I say honestly.

“Thanks,” he says. Then, after a minute, “Why do you always call me Snow?”

I shrug. “Why did you call me Tyrannus?” I return with a short glare.

“It was _one time_!” he objects. “I didn’t even know you yet!”

I shrug and let it go, but don’t give him a real answer.

Simon rolls his eyes and leads me back to the living room. He sits down on the floor in front of the coffee table and starts spreading out everything we’ve been working on over the past two weeks. I sit on the couch across from him and shove down the slight disappointment that we won’t be doing this in his room. Instead, we’re out here, and Bunce is pretending not to watch us from her spot in the dining room. She’s not very good at it.

I pull out my laptop. “Do you have Wi-Fi?” I ask.

Snow laughs. “Of course we do. I’m pretty sure we’d go crazy without it, especially Penny. She’s a Facebook addict,” he whispers conspiratorially.

Apparently he’s not quiet enough, because Bunce’s head snaps up. “Hey!” she objects. “I only use Facebook so much so I can talk to Micah!”

“I know, I know,” he soothes. “I was just kidding. Her boyfriend lives in Illinois, so they really only make the long drive to see each other on breaks,” he explains to me.

I nod along as I start up my computer and connect to the internet. “I was thinking we could use some more research into Cesare’s military career to round out our paper. What do you think?”

“Sounds great,” Snow says with a grin. From the corner of my eye, I can see Bunce taking interest in us again, though I don’t really understand why. She looks back down to her book after a minute, and I relax. It feels strangely like I’m being evaluated.

\-----

“Hey guys, I’m going to order dinner. What do you want?” Bunce asks a few hours later. I blink up at her, losing my train of thought. I’ve been so focused on the project that it feels like I’m coming back to a completely separate world.

Snow apparently doesn’t have that problem, as he answers immediately. “Olive Garden!” He glances to me with cautiously hopeful eyes and I hide a smile. He looks like a puppy waiting for praise.

“That’s fine with me,” I agree.

“Great,” Bunce says, handing me a menu. I choose something quickly and pass it to Snow. Considering how quickly he answered, I would have thought that they ate there regularly. He takes a while to decide, though: long enough for his roommate to start tapping her toes impatiently and shooting him looks.

Once he’s told Bunce what he wants, she leaves. I don’t notice how tense I am with her watching us until she leaves and every muscle in my body relaxes again. I don’t know _why_ I’m so nervous, either. She’s been nothing but polite, at least overtly.

I sigh and turn back to the paper I’d been writing on, but I’ve completely lost whatever I’d been thinking about before. My pencil hovers over it for a few seconds before Snow takes pity on me.

“Ready for a break?” he asks with a small laugh. I nod, and he says, “Me too.” He crawls up onto the couch next to me, and I reluctantly slide over to give him a bit more room. He flips through the channels and we argue for a few minutes, eventually settling on a mindless (but still amusing) sitcom.

Halfway through the second episode, Bunce returns. She takes the food into the kitchen and comes back out with a full plate. “Food’s ready, boys.”

We wait until a commercial break, and then I follow Snow into the kitchen. He hands me a plate from one of the cupboards, and our fingers brush. We both pause for a moment, but he jerks away quickly once he notices. The kitchen’s fairly small, so we stand close while we dish up.

“What do you want to drink?” Snow asks. I look back to him and my heart stutters for a few beats. I think I like the way he has to look up at me. We’re only a few inches apart in height, but the difference seems amplified when we’re this close together. He keeps staring at me, blue eyes blinking slowly, and I have to focus on not doing something stupid.

I swallow. “Just water, thanks,” I force past my dry throat.

He stays where he is for a few more seconds and nods. Then he turns away to get the glasses, and the spell is broken. I take my cup from Snow once it’s full and go back to the living room, feeling like I can breathe again in the open space. Bunce just smirks at me around her fork.

\-----

**Penelope:**

When Baz eventually leaves, Simon sinks back into the couch cushions, eyes closed. “Do you still think you’ll stick to doing absolutely nothing?” I ask with a smirk.

He sighs. “I don’t know,” he groans in defeat.

“So that means you’re going to make a move, right?” I push.

“I don’t know,” he repeats.

“You know, you really got to him today…” I trail off.

As expected, that catches Simon’s attention. He opens his eyes and looks at me suspiciously. “What do you mean?”

“I mean it was extremely obvious that he’s into you. Honestly, I think the only thing stopping him from jumping you was the fact that I was here.”

Simon blushes. “Shut up, Penny.”

“I’m not teasing you!” Well, it’s half-true. I _am_ teasing him, but I also think I’m telling the truth. “Baz was dying to make a move, or for you to make one, or something.”

He hesitates. “…Really?”

I put one hand over my heart and raise the other in a mock oath. “I solemnly swear that every signal I got from Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch tonight indicated that he totally wants to do you.” Simon makes a face and I dissolve into giggles. “Sorry, Simon. Sorry. I really do think he likes you, though. I promise.”

Simon turns to the TV and goes silent. I give him a few minutes; I know he’s not actually watching it, just thinking. Sure enough, he eventually looks back to me. “Okay,” he concludes simply.

“What? What does ‘okay’ mean? That you believe me? That you’re going to do something about your insane attraction to this boy?” He glares at me and I grin back smugly.

“It means that I believe you, but I still don’t know what I’m going to do about it.”

I groan and roll my head back, staring at the ceiling. “You’re impossible, and I don’t know how long I can watch you two dance around each other like this. So hurry up and figure it out.”

“I’ll try.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Baz:**

The next day, we’re trying to do our project while I work again, and Snow suddenly slams his cup on the counter. I jump, and some of it sloshes out of the hole in the lid. “Sorry,” he says sheepishly before running to get some napkins and clean it up. There’s a towel sitting a foot behind me, but I don’t say anything. He’d be more embarrassed if I didn’t just let him clean it for himself.

Once the mess is gone, Snow throws the napkins away and returns to leaning against the counter. “So I think last night worked better, without all the distractions... Right?” he asks hesitantly.

I nod in agreement. I think I know where he’s going with this. As expected, he continues, “I was just wondering if you’d want to do that again. You could come over sometime this week. I think if we had another full evening to work on it, we could finish this project.”

I feel a quick stab at the thought of the project being over and not having any excuse to keep spending time with Simon, but I ignore it. For now at least, the prospect of another night at his house makes up for it. “I have Wednesday off,” I suggest in a questioning tone.

“Sure!” he agrees with a smile.

The bell over the door rings. I hold up a finger, motioning for Snow to wait, and go to help the customer. When I return, he’s waiting patiently, still smiling. He checks the time on his phone and raises an eyebrow. I look to my supervisor, and she nods with an indulgent smile. I take my apron off and place it on the hook while Snow gathers our books and papers into a neat little pile. I step around the counter and he holds the door open.

We sit down on the curb and I light up, waiting for the questions to start. It takes longer than usual.

Eventually, Snow admits, “I’m running out of easy questions.”

I shrug. “So ask some hard questions.”

“Alright…” He thinks for a minute, then looks at my cigarette. “Why do you smoke?”

“I told you before, it’s hard to stop once you start.”

Snow rolls his eyes. “I meant why did you start?”

“It’s not exactly a complex answer,” I say with a raised eyebrow. “In high school, my cousins and a few other friends started smoking. I was around them a lot and decided to try it one day. I liked it. I kept doing it.”

“Would you ever want to quit?”

“I’ve tried before, albeit not very hard. I know it’s bad for my health, but I can’t really bring myself to care that much. And aside from you these last few weeks, I don’t really smoke around anyone else, so it’s not like I’m putting anyone else in danger.”

“So you don’t care,” he infers.

“Not really. I might try harder if I had some sort of motivation.”

Snow hums as he absorbs the new information. After a minute, he continues his interrogation, though the next one isn’t exactly a question. “Tell me about your family.”

I cringe a bit but try to conceal it. “Well, I have four siblings. The oldest is Mordelia; she’s nine. Then there are the twins, Rose and Clara; they’re five. The youngest is James; he just turned two.”

“What about your parents?”

I grimace. I was hoping he wouldn’t ask, but if I’m honest with myself, I knew better than that.

“My mom died when I was little, my father remarried, that’s about it,” I say quickly.

“Oh, I’m so sorry--” Simon starts.

“Stop,” I cut him off. “I’ve had enough sympathy for a life time, and I don’t really want to think about it anymore.”

“Okay,” he agrees. We fall into silence, but it’s much more awkward than usual.

I sigh. “Look, I’m not mad at you for bringing it up, okay? And I’m not going to start crying or anything. It’s just not something I like to dwell on.”

“I understand. I lost my parents before I even knew them, so…” He shrugs.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” The words ring hollow after I just told Snow not to say the exact same thing. He smirks a bit, and then we both laugh. There’s absolutely nothing funny about this situation, but sometimes you just have to laugh to get rid of everything else.


	13. Chapter 13

**Simon:**

On Wednesday, Baz and I walk together after class.

“Bunce isn’t coming?” he asks curiously, looking around like he expects her to appear.

I shake my head. “She has one more class today.”

“Okay,” he says, nodding. He doesn’t give anything away. Sometimes I wish he was easier to read, but I try to remember what Penny said and keep my hopes up.

When we get to the apartment, we each try to open the door for the other. My hand lingers and I look up at him. My heart’s pounding, and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m panicking or excited. After a few seconds, he lets go and steps back. I hold the door open and follow him in.

I shrug my jacket off and gesture for him to take a seat. I gather the supplies from my room and my backpack, dump them on the table, and sit next to Baz on the couch.

We work separately for a while, occasionally pointing out things that we should add and asking each other questions.

“Snow?” Baz questions after nearly an hour.

“Yeah?” I look up, and his eyes are boring into mine. I blink and swallow, all of my effort going towards resisting the urge to break eye contact.

After a few seconds, he laughs a bit and answers, “I forgot.” He doesn’t look away, though. His jaw clenches, and suddenly one of his hands is on the back of my neck. His other hand is on the couch behind me, supporting him as he leans forward. He stops an inch away from me, eyes scanning my face and waiting for any objection. I don’t object. I don’t even breathe.

Baz moves that last little bit, closing the gap between our mouths, and I melt. My own hands come up to his side and his hair. They clench and he gasps, pulling just a hair away. It’s too far. “I’ve wanted to do that since before we even technically met,” he admits.

I just laugh a little and nod. Then I lean back against the arm of the couch, pulling him with me and back to my lips. He goes willingly, shifting his weight to get more comfortable.

I lose track of how long we stay like that.

\-----

**Penelope:**

I open the door to the apartment. It’s silent. My eyebrows furrow. I could have sworn Simon said he had another study date with Baz. Maybe they decided to go somewhere else today. That would be nice. As fun as it is to tease the two of them, it’s extremely frustrating to be stuck in a room with all that tension and know that neither of them will do a damn thing about it.

I step inside and take a quick look around, then shield my eyes with a squeak. Well. I guess one of them decided to do something about that tension after all.

I only caught a quick glimpse, luckily, but it was enough to know that Baz was straddling my best friend on our couch and they were definitely at least making out.

When nobody says anything, I grimace. I was hoping maybe they heard my squeak and would stop. Since that obviously didn’t happen, I inhale deeply and cough as loudly as I can.

There’s the sound of shuffling against the fabric of the couch, and Simon makes a choking sound. “Penny!” he says, too loudly. “I didn’t think you would be back so soon.”

I peek between my fingers. At least they’re clothed, and there’s a few modest inches between them now. I lower my hands and raise an eyebrow at Simon. “You know my schedule. I’m home at the exact same time every day!”

Simon rubs the back of his neck, blushing. “I, um… I didn’t realize what time it was,” he says with a cough.

Baz snickers quietly, but I shoot him a glare and he shuts up, looking away. His hand sneaks across the space between them, and Simon takes it with a small smile. It’s cute, and I’m happy enough for Simon that I decide to let them off the hook.

“Well… At least you were still dressed,” I say, and they both turn red. I head down the hall to my own room, tossing over my shoulder, “Congratulations on finally _doing_ something. Just please don’t do it when I’ll be home. Or on our couch.” I can’t help but revel in Simon’s sudden coughing fit.


	14. Chapter 14

**Baz:**

My gaze keeps drifting to my watch. I never really noticed how boring this job is without Simon here. We _did_ manage to get our project done in time, though it took some effort to keep our hands off of each other long enough to finish it. I had hoped that our new… relationship? Whatever it was, meant that he would keep coming to spend time with me even after it was over, but apparently I was wrong.

The bell over the door chimes, and I push myself off the counter with a sigh. “What can I get for you?” I ask with the smile I reserve for the customers.

“Pike Place roast, black, please,” he says, and my head snaps up. Simon is beaming at me, panting like he’s been running. “Sorry I’m late. Penny needed my help with something back at the house.”

I can’t help the stupid little laugh that bubbles out of my throat. “That’s okay,” I answer. He already has exact change ready, but I push his hand away. I get a discount, and I don’t think I need any caffeine today, if the way my heart is racing is any indication. “It’s on me.”

I get Simon his coffee, and he lingers around the counter. We talk while I clean and he entertains himself doing something with the straw wrappers while I serve customers. As usual, he points out that it’s time for my break before I even notice it. I ask the boss if it’s okay for me to go, and she rolls her eyes. We’re slow, so I already know what the answer will be. Or at least, I think I do, but she (in a way) surprises me. “Go ahead. Go with your boyfriend,” she taunts.

I feel heat rising in my cheeks. “He’s not… Umm…” Is he? I don’t really know what to call him at this point.

“I’m just teasing,” she insists. She stands up from her stool and shoos me towards the door. “Go!”

I linger, still trying to figure out what I should say. After a second, I decide that maybe not saying anything is the best way to go. I roll my eyes and leave, Simon trailing behind me.

I pull out a cigarette, and we sit on the curb in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, Snow huffs and rolls his eyes. Apparently he has the same thoughts on his mind that I do, because he asks, “So, does this make us…? Are we…?” He looks to the clouds, exasperated with himself. Then he rushes out, “Do you want to go out with me?”

He’s red as a tomato, and I can’t hold back a smile. “Sure.”

Maybe it isn’t exactly a sentimental confession, but he actually seems relieved by the simplicity of it. Simon smiles and takes my hand. I lean to kiss him, but he recoils quickly.

That’s… not what I expected.

“Blech! You taste like an ashtray!” I laugh a little bit in relief. His eyes narrow evilly, and I move away. That look can mean nothing good. “I’m not going to kiss you after you’ve been smoking. Maybe _that_ will be good enough motivation to quit,” he says hopefully.

I try to glare, but judging by Snow’s laughter, I don’t think it works.

“Aww, you’re pouting! That’s adorable!” he says.

I glower at him. If he’s really going to stick to that idea, I’m sure it will be as much of a struggle for him as it is for me.

\-----

If it’s as hard on Simon as it is on me, he doesn’t show it.

\----

Nearly a month later, Simon and Penelope come in at the same time as usual. They smile and wave, then go to place their orders with the new cashier. I’ve already finished making their drinks by the time they’re done paying. I hand them over, and they go to sit at their normal table.

When it’s time for my break, I see Simon standing up while he talks to Bunce. She laughs and waves him away, and he joins me behind the store.

We sit down and I pull a cigarette out. He raises an eyebrow at me, and I roll my eyes and put it back into the pack. I shove the pack in my pocket, and he rewards me with a kiss.

All in all, it’s not a bad trade.


	15. Epilogue

**Penelope:**

When Baz leaves, I turn to Simon disbelievingly. “Is he actually going home tonight?” I ask.

“This _is_ home,” he mutters. I coo teasingly, but he just rolls his eyes and ignores it.

“So he officially lives here now?”

Simon nods, blushing. “That’s why he’s leaving now.”

I make a face. “What? That doesn’t make any sense.”

“He’s packing,” Simon answers, not looking at me.

I giggle. “So when can I expect a wedding invitation?” I mock.

“Believe me, if it happened, you would be the first to know,” he answers.

My eyes narrow at him. “That’s an interesting non-answer,” I point out.

He shrugs. “We’ll see.” It’s still not an answer, and it sounds completely casual, but he’s grinning at the floor.

“You better be telling the truth about me being the first to know,” I threaten, but now I’m grinning, too. I’m just glad he’s finally happy.


End file.
